Growing garden strawberries in a mini-greenhouse
The producer from Odesa region switched
to growing early varieties of garden strawberries in mini-greenhouses.
The technology was borrowed from Italy,
where local farmers often use such a simple and inexpensive structure to
protect crops from hail and bird damage.
In contrast to Italian producers, who
mostly choose grid as a protective material, a farmer from Odesa region decided
to use agricultural fiber, which also provided protection against spring frosts and earlier ripening of the
crop.
According to the company's
representative, this story began two years ago, when a local producer decided
to plant garden strawberries with early varieties and ordered virus-free frigo
material from the Italian nursery Mazzoni.
When choosing varieties, the producer first
of all wanted to use the advantage of the geographical location of his own
field, which is located in the south of Odesa region, that is, to get early
products for sale in fresh form, therefore, the manufacturer chose three main
varieties. Of course, it was the well-known and common variety Clary, as well
as two new varieties - Quickie and Lofty (Ami). These varieties have a tasty,
transportable and, as the producer himself will later point out, an “elite” berry.
Last year, all products were collected during May.
An earlier harvest period, combined with
high product quality, ultimately ensured a good profit for the producer. Among
all the varieties, the grower most praised the new super-early Quickie variety,
which started harvesting 6 days earlier than the Clary and Lofty (Ami)
varieties, as well as the Lofty (Ami) variety for its very high yield. According
to the manufacturer`s opinion, the berry of both these varieties has excellent
transportability and shelf life, which allowed to store, transport and sell the
berry for 5 days even without refrigeration!
The producer plans to expand further the area for this crop, since the demand for his berry significantly exceeded the supply during the season of collection and sale of products. This is a good example of the right approach and management, when the manufacturer focused primarily on quality and technology, not on quantity and large areas.
Source: https://www.ft.ua